Operation Bagration in the summer of 1944, on the Eastern Front, is the location for this story. The Soviet army on the front lines has sent out two patrols go gather information about the enemies’ positions and their strengths, primarily about their tank divisions. None of the patrols have returned and the need for information is strong enough to send out a third patrol, the task falls on seven men some of them just sent to the front line. These seven scouts, in the cover of darkness, goes behind enemy lines with orders not to shoot to give away position and not to take prisoners.

We follow these seven men very closely, and see the battle as they see it and we know nothing more then they do. I really like this style of story telling, were you have no insight into the enemy’s plan or know where the other two patrols are/were lost. The cinematography is another part of the movie that is very well done, one scene stood out for me as a masterpiece of cinematography — were you have two of the soldiers in a German truck and one of them is looking out through a ripped part in the fabric on the side of the truck. What he sees there, how it’s filmed, the acting and the editing, it’s all very well done and shows the brilliants of the director. The sound editing is also something extra, both with the score and the sound effects, and sometimes the lack of both.

There is a little love drama as one of the side-stories, which feels a bit out of place sometimes. It doesn’t seem to fit, but I do get the purpose of it and just think it could have been handled a little bit better in the beginning. Other then that it’s a great piece of filmmaking and I wish more people would see these mostly unnoticed movies.